noun
fire officer
Official term for a uniformed firefighter with officer rank, used in legal and administrative contexts.
消防吏員は火災現場で消火活動にあたった。
The fire officers engaged in firefighting at the scene of the fire.
消防士 is the common, everyday word for 'firefighter', while 消防吏員 is a formal, official designation for a fire officer.
Compound of 消防 (firefighting) and 吏員 (official, officer). The exact historical derivation is uncertain; the term is used in modern legal and administrative contexts.